Calhoun,Shuck come through in the clutch for Angels

The Angels' J.B. Shuck hits a three-run double during the seventh inning on Sunday in Milwaukee. MORRY GASH, AP

MILWAUKEE – Although still in the infancy of their careers, rookies J.B. Shuck and Kole Calhoun are demonstrating a knack for one of the most vital skills in baseball: hitting with runners in scoring position.

Shuck and Calhoun combined for all five RBI in the Angels’ victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday, including Shuck’s go-ahead three-run double in the seventh inning.

On Friday night, they drove in four of the five runs.

Calhoun has been in the majors for just more than a month, but he’s 10 for 28 (.357) with runners in scoring position. Shuck, who has been up all season, is 25 for 79 (.316).

“One thing about J.B. is he understands his game,” Manager Mike Scioscia said. “He is comfortable in his skin. He knows he’s going to put the ball in play somewhere and maybe find a hole. He’s not trying to hit the ball 450 feet.”

With the bases loaded in the seventh, he yanked a grounder just down the first-base line. The ball hit the bag and bounced over first baseman Yunieski Betancourt, as Shuck hustled into second.

Although there is some question as to whether hitting with runners in scoring position is really a skill or just a coincidence, Shuck said he does feel those plate appearances require a special approach.

“Sometimes pitchers try to make too good a pitch (with runners in scoring position) and make you chase,” Shuck said. “If you lay off those, you can get into good hitter’s counts.”

Calhoun singled to drive in a run in the third. In the seventh, he smoked a ground-rule double into left-center field. He’d have gotten a third RBI if the ball hadn’t bounced over the fence.

Calhoun, who hit cleanup this weekend in Josh Hamilton’s absence, is 8 for 24 (.333) with nine RBI in his past seven starts.

“Kole has made some much needed adjustments in his swing,” Scioscia said. “He’s very confident and he’s swinging the bat well with guys in scoring position.”

HAMILTON EXPECTED BACK

Hamilton, who played catch Sunday morning, said he was feeling better, both his left shoulder and his head, and could have played, but Scioscia opted to give him one more day off to get closer to 100 percent.

Scioscia used Hamilton to pinch hit — he was intentionally walked — and said Hamilton will be back in the lineup Monday.

Scioscia also said medical privacy laws prevented him from revealing on Friday night that Hamilton had left the ballpark because of a migraine.

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